Sachin Tendulkar's net worth: Just how rich is India's cricket God?

Sachin won the 2011 World Cup with the Indian cricket team

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, often referred to as the ‘God of cricket’ in India, retired from all forms of international cricket on 16th November 2013 after playing almost 24 years at the international stage. His last Test match, a record 200th, was against Darren Sammy’s West Indies at the Wankhede Stadium in his hometown, Mumbai. And you can bet that Tendulkar didn’t just finish as the greatest all-round batsman of all time, but also as the richest ever.

The master blaster’s presence in the Indian team for such a long period explains his importance in the success that India achieved in the sport. The now 42-year-old played 664 international matches in all formats, scoring a mammoth 34,357 runs in the process.

He’s been handsomely compensated for his efforts too. Tendulkar’s curent net worth is estimated to be a whopping US$115 million, which is far and away the highest among all cricketers. This is made up of both prize money and endorsement earnings.

During a wildly successful career, the batsman made a whole host of endorsements. Since making his debut at the tender age of 16, companies have been lining up outside the little master’s house to get him to advertise their products.

Tendulkar has endorsed popular brands such as Pepsi, MRF, Brittania, Adidas, Canon and Fiat Palio, to name a few. His contract with soft drink giants Coca-Cola in 2011 is the one that stands out from his portfolio; through this deal, which ended in 2013 after his retirement, Tendulkar pocketed a cool $1.2 million per year.

Sachin endorsed many brands throughout his career

Tendulkar was ranked 51st in the Forbes list of highest-paid athletes in 2013 while Wealth-X has accounted his net worth at a staggering $160 million. This was three times what Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni was worth, five times of Yuvraj Singh and over 10 times that of vice-captain Virat Kohli’s worth in the same year.

In 2007, Tendulkar purchased a bungalow in Bandra for a whopping $5.38 million and hired a famed architect from Mexico to refurbish the house, which is currently estimated to be around $7.9 million. He also travels in style; he owns a fleet of luxury cars, which includes a Nissan GT-R, a Mercedes-Benz C36 and a Porsche Boxster.

Business and other interests

Tendulkar owns two restaurants in Mumbai, one named “Sachin’s” in Colaba and the other named “Tendulkar’s” in Mulund. He is also part of a joint venture with Future Group and Manipal Group under the name ‘S Drive and Sach’, which produces sports fitness and healthcare goods.

The little master also co-owns the Kochi franchise ‘Kerala Blasters’ of the Indian Super League in association with PVP Ventures, which is owned by Prasad V Potluri.

In 2012, Tendulkar was nominated for a seat in the Rajya Sabha, for which he was offered a bungalow in Delhi. However, being the gentleman he is, the little master refused the house, calling it a “waste of tax payer’s money”.

The 2011 World Cup winner sets a fine example for his fans by being actively involved in philanthropy. He sponsors 200 underprivileged children every year under the organisation ‘Apnalaya', a Mumbai-based NGO, along with his mother-in-law Annabel Mehta. The master blaster also spent nine hours on the Coca-Cola-NDTV ‘Support My School’ telethon on 18th September 2011 that helped raise Rs. 7 crore for the creation of basic facilities (like toilets) for girl students across 140 government colleges.

Despite retiring two years ago, Tendulkar’s net worth, now, is well over $100 million. Who says playing sports in India doesn’t pay?